The effect of viscosity on the resistive tearing mode with the presence of shear flow

The effect of small isotropic viscosity on the ''constant ψ'' tearing mode in the presence of shear flow, is analyzed by the boundary layer approach. It is found that the influence of viscosity depends upon the parameter (G'(0)/F'(0)), where G'(0) and F'(0) denote that shear and magnetic field shear at the magnetic null plane, respectively. When |(G'(0)/F'(0))| much-lt 1, the tearing mode growth rate is suppressed by the viscosity, but not completely stabilized. When |(G'(0)/F'(0))| ∼ in the order of (1) and the viscosity is comparable with the resistivity, the growth rate vanishes as ((1 - G'(0)2/F'(0)2)1/3), when G'(0)2 → F'(0)2 from below. In the case where (1 - G'(0)2/F'(0)2) < 0 matching cannot be achieved. 8 refs